Have you ever noticed that some guys guns just always seems to out gun yours? Or that they always seem to have a bit more sting to them.  There is a reason for it and I’m about to tell you why.  I’ve given some hard though about sharing this trick of the trade.  But since I don’t live in this area I really don’t have to worry about going up against any of your guns.  With that in mind I will share with you what I consider is the Golden Secret of the airsoft trick of the trade.

This secret has been around for some time but one that has not really been understood.  Because of that, airsofters in general have not paid much attention to it.  What I am talking about is matching your inner barrel with the proper cylinder to the spring and BB weight you are using.  This combination more than any other upgrade you do to your gun will determine how potent your airsoft gun is.  Done properly, you will maximize the energy and the range of your BB.  In short, you will be able to out gun most people on the field.  Done improperly, your gun will act as an airsoft vampire that will drain or prevent your BB from reaching its maximum energy potential when leaving the barrel.  I’m going to help better understand this aspect of airsoft technology.

Before we start.  First, I want you to go to this link http://www.cobraairsoft.com/default.php?cPath=79_80  and look at the Systema cylinders labeled “Type-0” thru “Type-4” or the Prometheus cylinders labeled “A” thru “F”.  You will see cylinder with holes in different sections of the cylinder (also known as ported cylinders) and some with no holes at all.  What these cylinders do, when matched properly to the inner barrel that you are using, allows the BB to reach it maximum energy potential just as it’s leaving the barrel.  I will give you an example how this work.

Let’s say you have 3 identical M-4 and all of them have a 363mm inner barrel.  The only difference is the cylinder they are using.  Gun-A is using a Systema Type-0 cylinder, Gun-B Type-2 and Gun-C Type-3.  Now let’s say all guns chrono at 400 fps with a 0.20g BB.  Since they all chrono the same, one could conclude that they would all shoot at approximately the same range.  Wrong!  Gun-B would significantly outgun Gun-A & C.  Why is that?  First let’s explore why Guns-A & C doesn’t shoot as far.

Gun-A:  The reason Gun-A doesn’t shoot as far as Gun-B is because the BB is leaving the barrel before it is reaching its full energy potential.  Because the cylinder is so long, it has way more air than the M-4 inner barrel needs.  On top of that, the piston doesn’t reach full speed until just a split second before the piston impact the cylinder head.  Because of this, the BB is pushed out of the barrel before the piston head impacts the cylinder head.  As a result, the remaining air is wasted energy and the BB does not reach its full speed potential because the transfer of energy was not complete.  The reason full cylinders are used on long barrel guns such as an M-16 is because the long barrel gives the BB more time to reach its maximum speed.

Gun-C:  The reason Gun-C doesn’t shoot as far as Gun-B is because it suffers from a vacuum problem.  Since the ports on the cylinder are too far forward.  It does not provide enough air to push the BB out of the barrel which creates a vacuum.  As a result, the BB begins to decelerate before it has even left the barrel!  This means that your gun will be shooting at shorter range than it should be.  This is what I meant earlier about your gun becoming a vampire.  It sucks the energy away from your BB.

Gun-B:  So why does Gun-B shoot the best?  Since it is a medium length inner barrel, it doesn’t need a full length cylinder.  The volume of air after the piston head passes the ported hole provides enough air to push the BB out.  Also, since there is no resistance to the piston on the first 1/2 inch of its stroke, the piston can pick-up speed more quickly.  When is does pass the ported holes, it is hitting the air faster and providing more energy.  What this does is it shoots the BB out of the barrel just a split before the piston head impacts the cylinder head, thus allowing the BB to receive the maximum amount of energy from the spring.  This translates into longer range and better performance over your opponent.  And that's why I call it the “Golden Secret”.

My description for Gun-A was creating some confusion.  For better clarification I've added this.
However, one example that I do remember the details on was a friends Tokyo Marui AK Spetsnaz that I was working on. I had an M-130 spring and a stock barrel (229 mm). When I put a full Systema Type-0 cylinder in it shot around 370 fps. When I put a Type-3 cylinder in it, it shot nearly 400fps. That was almost a 30 fps gain! (With an Excel 0.20g Bio-BB). Now when I asked my friend who worked at Systema about this. His explanation was that if you looked at the Type-3 cylinder. The forward end of the port is almost in the middle of the cylinder. This mean the first half of the piston stroke had very little resistance since the air was bleeding out through the holes. Because of the low resistance, the piston was able to gain more speed and therefore was able to impact the remaining air after the ports at higher velocity which translated to higher fps. He said when a piston travels through a full cylinder, the speed is not the same through the whole stroke. As the piston move closer to the cylinder head it picks-up speed and reaches it's maximum speed just before it completes it's stroke. So when using a full cylinder on a short barrel like the Spetsnaz. The BB has departed the barrel when the piston is only half way through it's stroke. And since the piston has not yet reached full speed. The BB is not receiving the full amount of energy that the spring is capable of providing.

I will say that if someone is using a cylinder that is providing too much air is not as detrimental to a gun that is using a cylinder that does not provide enough air. The one that does not provide enough air causes a vacuum as nears the end of the barrel which slows down the BB. One having to much air is still gaining speed as it travel down the barrel. It just doesn't receive the maximum speed that the spring can provide.



"Mini-Marine"]OK I think I see what you're getting at.

The impression I got (and I believe DMitri as well) was that given the same FPS, the gun with the proper cylinder would get more range.

What you are saying is that with the proper cylinder is more efficient and will grant higher FPS with a given spring, therefore you can achieve cap FPS with a lower power spring, which will in turn result in less wear and tear on the internals.

So how does one select the best cylinder for his gun?  

Before you start, it’s important that you know the length of your inner barrel.  If you do not have a metric measuring tape.  Crusader has provided a fairly extensive list of the length on inner barrel at this link http://www.airsoftpacific.com/viewtopic.php?t=19200

Now when you go to buy a cylinder, some brands like Prometheus, make it relatively easy by stating on the package what barrel length it is designed for.  Other brands like Systema simply state what type of gun its best use for.  But for your convenience, I’ve provided inner barrel measurements for each cylinder.

Now if you happen to have a ported cylinder lying about and you don’t know what type it is.  Here is how you can measure it.  (Note: This method does not work in KM tapered cylinders).   First, if it is attached to a cylinder head, take the cylinder head off.  Now put duct tape on the front end of the cylinder (Make sure it is water tight).  Now put a small piece of duct tape on the front end of the barrel.  Next, fill the inner barrel up with water.  Then hold it over the cylinder and open the tape so that the water empties into the cylinder.  The optimal measurement is that the water from the inner barrel should fill-up about 40% to 50% of the cylinder (45% is ideal in most cases).  Note: if you are using a ported cylinder, you measure from the forward end of the hole and not the entire length of the cylinder.  If the water fills more than 50%, then the cylinder will not provide enough air.  If it’s under 40%, then it will provide too much air.

Now someone may ask why should the cylinder have 50% to 60% more air volume than the cylinder?  This is because the air gets compressed as it is shoved into the inner barrel.

Someone may also ask, why do you give a 10% range in the measurement of the water?  There are several things that can change this equation.  As I mentioned, the volume of air in the inner barrel (represented by water in the explanation above) ideally should equal about 45% of the volume of air in the cylinder.  However, there are several variables that can change this.  The first one is the inner barrel.  You have standard barrels that measure as big as 6.10 mm to tight bore barrels that measure as low as 6.01mm.  So if you are using a super tight bore barrel you may want a little less air in the cylinder and may want to be closer to 50%.  However, if you are using a heavier BB such as a 0.25g, you may want a little bit more air.  The reason is that heavier BB moves more slowly than lighter ones and may need a little more air to push it out.  In this case you may want to lean closer to 60% air volume in the cylinder.

This brings up another point.  When you are trying to optimize your cylinder – barrel combination, it’s always best to test the gun with the BB brand and weight that you normally use in the field.

So how does one know when they have selected the best cylinder for their gun?

If one really wants to know for sure, the best thing I can think of is to buy two different cylinders and try them both.  The one that give you the higher chrono reading is the one that is the most efficient.

Well that about covers it.  If anyone has any questions, let me know.


Here's a list. Different manufacturers.  I will provide measurements for the Systema cylinders later.

Guarder Cylinder ( GE-03-01 ) G3 / M16A2 / AK
Guarder Cylinder ( GE-03-02 ) M4A1 / SR16
Guarder Cylinder ( GE-03-03 ) MP5A Series and SD Series
Guarder Cylinder ( GE-03-04 ) MP5K / PDW

Systema N-B Cylinder Type-0 ( ZS-04-16 ) M16A1 / VN / A2 / G3 / SG550 / AUG
Systema N-B Cylinder Type-1 ( ZS-04-17 ) AK47 / XM177 / SG551
Systema N-B Cylinder Type-2 ( ZS-04-18 ) MP5A4 / A5 / SD5 / SD6 / MC51
Systema N-B Cylinder Type-3 ( ZS-04-19 ) PDW
Systema N-B Cylinder Type-4 ( ZS-04-20 ) MP5K

KM TN Coated Inner Taper Cylinder for Long AEGs ( AEGS10 ) 400mm - 590mm
KM TN Coated Inner Taper Cylinder for Middle AEGs ( AEGS09 ) 200mm - 400mm
KM TN Coated Inner Taper Cylinder for Shorty AEGs ( AEGS08 ) <200mm

Prometheus Stainless Hard Cylinder ( A ) 451 - 550mm
Prometheus Stainless Hard Cylinder ( B ) 401 - 450mm
Prometheus Stainless Hard Cylinder ( C ) 301 - 400mm
Prometheus Stainless Hard Cylinder ( D ) 251 - 300mm
Prometheus Stainless Hard Cylinder ( E ) 201 - 250mm
Prometheus Stainless Hard Cylinder ( F ) 110 - 200mm

TM Full - AK47 / AK47S / M16A1 / M16A2 / M16VN / Sig550 / G3A3 / G3A4 / G3-SG1 / Steyr AUG
TM 1/3 - G36C / P90 / P90 TR / M1A1 Thompson / Sig551 / Sig552 / M4A1 / M4A1 RIS / M4 S-System / SR16 / XM133 / CAR15 / M733 Commando
TM 3/5 - MC51 / G3 SAS / AK Beita Spetsnaz / MP5A4 / MP5A5 / MP5 RAS / MP5SD5 / MP5SD6 / MP5-J
TM 1/2 - MP5K / PDW

Gents

I'm looking for a real dummy 5.56 10 round ammo belt for M249.  Anyone know where I can get some?

Thanks

$$ SOLD $$

For sale is a Trigger Happy Elcan scope with illuminated green & red reticles for $160 OBO.

It is in excellent condition.

Despite these being replicas, they are excellent scopes and very durable and are a step above the Chinese knock offs. The nicest feature about these scopes is that they are one of very few scopes that can zero in at 40~50 yards. Most scopes (even most airsoft scopes) are designed too zero in at 100 yards plus.

These scopes with illuminated reticles are also very hard to find these days. If you can find one, they are $325 + new.

Scope comes with rubber cap for rear lens. (Not shown in picture)

Item is in California.  Because of the high price for this item I will send by FedEx and pay for shipping.  Item can be sent to Anthem for pick-up.  

Black Fox's Tricks of the Trade - Air Tight

There are many areas of your gun that you can upgrade to get the maximum performance out of your airsoft gun.  One area that is sometimes over looked is the air tightness of your gun.  Every little air leak in your gun reduces the performance of you gun.  You’ll be amazed that by sealing all your air leaks, you can increase your velocity by 50 fps or more depending on the gun.  In some cases this may require you to put in a lower power spring!  And in my book that is the name of the game.  To get the most power out of your gun with the lowest power spring as possible.  Because with a lower power spring.  Your parts last longer and you’ll get more endurance from your battery.

So when you are upgrading, here are things you should check to make sure your gun is air tight.

O-Ring & Lubrication
Everyone pretty much knows that a good O-ring is the most important components that create a tight seal in your gun and that a bad O-ring is one of the most common causes for loss in velocity.  And mostly everyone knows that lubrication is also important component to creating a good seal.  But what most people don’t know is that not all lubrications are the same.  Unfortunately, using lubrication is part science and part art.  Weather and temperature conditions can affect how a lubricant can perform.  With that in mind here are some general rules.  

Do not use lubricants with mineral oils, since these tend to damage rubber O-rings by making them too soft or eating away at the rubber.  Also, avoid using lithium grease.  The lubrication properties of lithium grease tend to break down over a period of time and eventually they become gunky.  It’s best to stick to silicon based oils and grease.

In hot weather, it’s better to grease type silicon and spray or oil type silicon in colder environment.  There is also a silicon dry spray that I think works well in both hot and cold environments.

My personal preference is to use Tri-Flow spray in the cylinder and clear silicon grease on the O-ring.  One nice side effect of Tri-Flow is that it makes the O-ring swell a little which helps the O-ring give a better seal but it doesn’t soften the rubber.  I have also used molybdenum grease in the past too with good results.  Molybdenum grease is great for gears but some people questions its use for rubber O-rings and would put this in the same category as lithium grease.

You will need to experiment a little as to what will work best for you and I know there are a lot of options out there but here are a few that I know works well.

In grease form:  Tri-Flow, G&P silicon grease (clear), Tokyo Marui silicon grease (Blue tube), Lens Anti-Fog silicon grease for scuba masks (clear type only).

In spray/oil form: Tri-Flow, Tokyo Marui.

In dry form:  Tri-Flow, Amsoil.

Once, you selected your grease.  You will need to test the piston for air leaks.  To do this, first attach the cylinder to the cylinder head if you have not already done this.  Then put the nozzle on the cylinder head.  Place the front end of the cylinder into your palm.  Insert the piston into the cylinder.  Then push hard and hold it there for a moment.  If you have a good seal the piston will slide in a little then stop.  If not, the piston will slowly or quickly sink in.  If this happens, stretch the O-ring a little.  If it still happens, replace the O-ring.  O-rings can be found at your local auto shop.  By the way, O-rings at the auto shop usually come in 3 colors, black, green and purple.  The green and purple ones are a little bit harder than the black one but they do work.  These are usually used on A/Cs parts in the car.  Also, when you do buy O-rings, buy several since they tend vary slightly in size.

Piston Head
When choosing a piston head.  Choose one that has vent ports on them.  These are usually a series of 6 to 8 holes that go around the front end of the piston head.  What this does is, it allows air to bleed past the piston head when it is being pulled back, thus allowing more air to fill the cylinder quickly.  There by ensuring that the cylinder is filled with the maximum amount of air before the piston begins to move forward.  This again can lead to greater velocity.  Again this feature is pretty much standard on most airguns now days but not all.

Cylinder Head
Some people say that a cylinder head that is cone shaped vs a flat in the back provides better airflow and improves velocity.  Personally I feel this is true but don’t if there is enough data to prove this.

Nozzle
The next step is the nozzle.  It’s always good to check the nozzle.  A worn nozzle can cause air leaks.  If you have an old gun, I would just go ahead and replace it.  When you do replace it, make sure you get one that has a little rubber O-ring inside the base of the nozzle.  This O-ring will help prevent air leaks.  Now days, it is almost a standard feature but I would still check.  There are also some nozzles that have two rubber O-rings on the inside to create a better seal.  However, some people think this creates extra friction on the tube that the nozzle slides back and forth on.  So will it supposedly creates a better seal it puts more stress on the tappet plate.  But I’m not sure if either has been proven at this point.

Hop-Up Bucking
Next to the O-ring, this is the second most critical component for creating an air tight seal and can potentially create a dramatic increase in velocity.  It is also the cheapest and easiest fix to improve your fps.  I recommend replacing your hop-up every two years, sooner if you are a heavy user or when ever you notice a drop in your velocity.  

When you do replace your hop-up bucking, I recommend you by at least two different brands.  Why?  Because the measurements inside a hop-up chamber vary slightly and so do different brands of hop-up buckings.  I’ve learned from experience that while one brand may work well in one gun, it may not work well in another.  This also goes for the inner barrel too.  Some hop-up bucking tends to fit loosely over the inner barrel.

Also, hop-up buckings are delicate.  If you need to remove the inner barrel from the hop-up chamber, they can some times tear when you pull them out.  So it’s always good to have spares.

When you put in a hop-up bucking there are several things you should do.  

First make sure you put it on the correct way.  If you don’t you may not get a good seal and your hop-up may not work well.  Almost all hop-up bucking have a protruding grove on the inside.  When you put it on, positioned it so that the protruding grove on the inside of the bucking slides into the cut grove on the out side of the inner barrel.  This will help align the hop-up nub on the inside of the bucking to the cut square section of the inner tube.  This will also make sure you get a good seal.

Next, coat the outside with a little bit of silicon oil.  This will help it slide into the hop-up chamber so it won’t tear.

Last, once the inner barrel is in all the way, check the back end of the hop-up bucking to make sure it is seated properly.  If you look at the back of a hop-up bucking it is tapered.  This area is thin and can sometime bend or curl when it gets pushed in.  If it does, air will blow out and around to the out side and create an air leak.  When you look into the back end of the hop-up chamber, the hop-up bucking should look perfectly round.

One last trick, wrap up the back end of the hop-up bucking with one layer of white plumbers taper.  This will make sure that there no air will bleed out between the inside of the hop-up bucking and the outside of the inner barrel.  Do not wrap it too tight because it could twist the hop-up bucking, thus causing an air leak.

My favorite brand of hop-up buckings are Guarder (clear), Systema (black) and Prometheus (soft-blue/purple).  I've also heard some good things about Classic Army too but that they tear easily.

Well that is pretty much all the tricks of the trade to ensure that your gun is air tight.  If you take all these actions when upgrading you gun.  You could potentially see a substantial increase in your velocity.

Trouble Shooting
The two biggest causes for loss in velocity is a bad hop-up bucking or O-ring.  Always replace the hop-up bucking first as this is the easiest and cheapest fix.  If that didn’t work, change the O-ring.  

If you done that plus tried all of the little tricks mentioned here and have done everything right but are still having trouble with velocity.  Then only 3 other things come to mind.

First, if you have a cylinder with a hole in it.  Make sure the hole is closer to the back end of the gear box and not the front.  I’ve seen people take gear boxes apart only to put the cylinder in backwards.  That will drop the velocity for you.

Two, if you have a gun that has a removable barrel that slides out such as a M249.  Make sure the barrel is pushed in all the way.  On some guns it’s a very tight fit.  And if you removed the barrel and don't push it back in all the way.  Then you are creating a gap between the nozzle and the hop-up chamber and are not getting a complete seal.

Three, the gun is defective.  With cheaper guns, you run a greater risk of the gear box not being properly aligned with the hop-up chamber, thus causing air leaks.  In most cases this cannot be fixed.

$$SOLD$$

For Sale is a REAL Trijicon 4x32 ACOG Scope M4A1 Amber Center Illumination TA01NSN

This includes a JPoint red dot sight, dot sight mount, iron sight, killflash, lens cover and carry case.  If you were to buy this set up new is will cost about $1,375.  I'm asking $750 which is almost half price or best offer.  Other than your normal wear which can be seen from the photos. It is in very good condition and the optics are in excellent condition.  The only issue it has is the left screw that holds the iron or dot sight mount is a little loose when you screw it in at first but tightens when in all the way.

Item is in California.  Shipping is free.  I can send it to my parents house in Anthem if you wish to inspect the item before you buy.  Please pay in cash or by Paypal.

Ranger Robbie bought an EOtech from me.  He pick it up from my dad and seemed happy with what he got.

For more detail about this scope go to these links.

Trijicon 4x32 ACOG Scope M4A1 Amber Center Illumination TA01NSN
http://www.opticsplanet.net/trijicon-4x32-acog-scope-with-yellow-center-illumination-for-m4a1-ta01nsn.html
Trijicon 4x32 ACOG Scope Killflash
http://www.opticsplanet.net/trijicon-ta57-tenebraex-killflash-antireflection-device-4x32-acog-scopes.html
JPoint Enterprises Red Dot Sights
http://www.opticsplanet.net/jp-rifles-jpoint-4-moa-dot-sight.html
JPoint dot sight mount for ACOG
http://www.eabco.com/cgi-bin/shopper.exe?preadd=action&key=135-TANSN

Gents

I want to treat my parents to dinner in the Phoenix, Scottsdale area.  Can someone recommend some nice place where I can buy a gift certificate  for them.

Thanks

FOR SALE!

NEW Tokyo Marui Crane Stock for $30 OBO.

Items is in California.

Shipping cost is $10